Blank: A Smallville Fanfic
by Chloe Summers
Summary: This is my Chlark version of the season 4 episode "Blank". I'm a real chlarker at heart and I always wondered what would have happened if Clark had chosen Chloe over Lana. The story begins similar to the episode, but then changes. This is my first fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

Ok, this is my first ever fanfic, so please bear with me. The story will start out fairly similar to the episode, however it will change.

Disclaimer: All characters etc. do not belong to me, I'm just borrowing them. Original episode content is not mine either, again borrowing it to play out my Chlark happiness!

"**Blank"**

It was a scorching hot day in Smallville, and it seemed everyone in town all had the same idea about how to cool down. They all headed to the air-conditioned Talon to escape the heat by drinking an ice cold frappe. As Chloe and Clark pushed open the doors, the cool air and crazy scene assaulted them at once. The Talon was packed with the lunch-hour rush, a large crowd had gathered around the serving area. In the middle was Lois, totally frazzled and trying to keep her cool.

"Hey Lois, I know your obviously busy but do you think I could get a double cappuccino to go? I feel like I'm melting away here!" Chloe called out above the din.

Lois spun round to face them, a dazed expression on her face.

"Oh my god, we've just been robbed!" she stammered.

Clark quickly look around and saw the back door of the Talon swinging shut as someone raced outta there at high speed. He supersped out the door in an effort to catch up to whoever had stolen the till money. As he reached the alley, he saw a yellow pickup truck racing toward him. Clark braced himself for the impact of the truck; however the driver managed to pull up just in time. Speeding around to the driver's door, Clark was about to apprehend the thief when a dazzling green light shone out of nowhere and blinded him, allowing the offender to get away.

The next thing Clark knew, he was half lying on the pavement with a pretty blond girl standing over him calling out a name he didn't recognize.

"Clark! Are you okay? What just happened?" Chloe asked in a puzzled voice.

Clark turned to look up at her and said, "Who's Clark?"

"What do you mean, who's Clark? Are you feeling alright?" Chloe bent down next to Clark, reaching out her hand to touch him.

"Who are you? Do I know you?" Clark asked, as he shrank away from her hand.

"What?! Of course you know me! It's Chloe. Did you manage to catch up to the thief?"

"I'm sorry lady, but I don't know you or this supposed thief" Clark responded, as he slowly got to his feet and gazed at his surroundings. "Where am I?"

A puzzled expression crossed Chloe's face. She wasn't sure what had happened to Clark, but he seemed to genuinely not know who she was. As usual, it was turning out to be just another day in Smallville. She decided to just go with it and try a different tact.

"Ok, what do you remember then?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Um…not much to be honest", Clark replied. "The last thing I remember was watching a yellow pick up truck turn down the alley, and then you came over to me calling out a name I don't recognize. After that, everything is blank".

"Ok, well…your name is Clark Kent and I'm your friend Chloe Sullivan. Your in Smallville, your home town. Another friend of ours, Lois, was just robbed in the Talon and you followed the thief out into the alley. When you didn't return, I came out here looking for you and saw you lying on the ground. Perhaps you did catch up to the guy and he whacked you in the head with some kinda object? Maybe that's why your memory is a little fuzzy?" Chloe said, trying to grasp the situation.

"Why would I follow a criminal out into a back alley?" Clark asked, "that's just suicidal behavior!"

"Well, it's kinda your thing", she responded with a small smile playing on her lips.

"My thing?"

Chloe sighed in frustration. Obviously Clark must have taken a pretty major hit to his head, so she decided that since Clark was far from normal, the hospital was not such a good idea. Instead she thought it would be best if she took Clark home so they could figure out what was wrong.

"Look Clark, I think maybe I should drive you home and your parents can help us sort out this mess. Will you please come with me?" she asked gently, not wanting to scare him.

Clark looked back at Chloe with uncertainty. He wasn't sure whether he could trust this person, whether they were indeed friends. However, looking at her open, honest face gave him a feeling in his gut that he should go with her as she could probably help him.

"Ok, I'll come with you".

Chloe and Clark walked over to her car and got in. _Please let the Kent's be home, I'm way out of my depth here!!_ Chloe thought to herself as she headed for the farm.


	2. Chapter 2

As Chloe pulled into the Kent's driveway, she looked over at Clark. He looked so lost, especially as his large frame was squished into the front seat of her little beetle. His expression was a mixture of confusion and fear. She just wanted to reach over and hug him, however given the current situation she thought that might not be appropriate. So instead she said,

"It must be kinda weird to see the house you grew up in for the first time? Do you recognize anything? The house? Or maybe the cows?"

"Are you sure this is where I live?" Clark asked in response.

"Well, yeah. You spend most of your time over there", she answered, pointing in the direction of the barn. Clark looked at the barn and his expression turned to disgust.

"In a barn?" he asked with skepticism.

"Well, normal was never really your style Clark", Chloe said with a smirk on her face. Clark stared back at her in confusion. Immediately Chloe felt bad for her poor choice of words. _There I go opening my big mouth again! Something that always seems to happen when I'm around Clark. Why does he still have such an affect on me? _

"Ah, that was my poor attempt at humor. Sometimes I crash and burn, sorry" she said. Mentally she was kicking herself. _Way to make an impression on him Chlo, now he probably thinks I'm some sort of freak!_

Clark gave Chloe another puzzled glance and turned around to head into the house. He walked up the steps and paused in front of the door. Even though Chloe told him this was his house, it just didn't feel right to go barging inside. So instead he raised his hand to knock on the door.

"Wait Clark, its ok. This is your house", Chloe cut in.

"Right", Clark replied, without much conviction in his voice. He reached his hand out and tried to turn the handle. However it seemed to be stuck. So he used just a little bit more force to try and coax the door open. However, he must have pulled much harder than he thought as the door came off its hinges and went flying out into the garden behind him. He looked down at his hands in confusion. Behind him Chloe was trying to hide a smile on her face. It was so cool to watch Clark use his abilities in front of her; it gave her a little thrill to know that she was one of the few people to know about him.

"I…ah…it must have been stuck…", Clark stammered.

"Actually, I think it was locked" Chloe said as she slipped past him into the house, the secret smile still on her face. "Mr and Mrs Kent?" She called out as she entered the kitchen. No reply came from within the house. Clark moved inside and started to look at the photographs around the kitchen, showing him with two other people he didn't recognize.

"Does anything in here jog your memory?" Chloe asked. Clark looks around the room and shakes his head, defeat evident in his eyes.

"That's ok, maybe we should try the barn then since your parents don't seem to be home. We can wait for them up there, and maybe something you see will help you in the meantime" Chloe suggests. Clark just shrugs his shoulders and follows Chloe dejectedly out of the house and over to the barn. She leads him up the staircase and gestures around the loft.

"Well, what about up here? You spend a lot of your time up here and this is where you keep most of your stuff. Have a look around and maybe you will find something you recognize" Chloe says. Clark begins to move around the room, picking things up at random and placing them down when he doesn't remember them. He finds a photo of him, Chloe and another guy standing together, smiling. They all look so happy and they seem to be close from the way they are standing. _I guess Chloe is right about us being friends, even though I don't remember, _Clark thinks to himself.

Chloe is sitting on the couch, watching Clark move around the room. She smiles sadly to herself when she sees him pick up a photo of her, Clark and Pete. _Pete…I sure do miss him. I wish he was here now to help me, he would know what to do with Clark. I wonder if he ever knew Clark's secret?_

Clark turns to face Chloe, photo still in his hands. "I'm sorry Chloe; nothing here is helping me to remember the past. It's all still just a huge void. I don't remember who I am", he says as he sits down heavily on the couch next to her, giving up. Chloe can't stand seeing the look of anguish on her friend's face, it just tears her up inside. She decides she needs to help him get his memory back in whatever way possible. She decides the best place to begin is by telling Clark about his gifts, so that he knows to be careful around others and not put himself in jeopardy.

"Ok Clark, I'll tell you what I know. You were adopted by the Kent's when you were just three years old and you have spent most of your life here on this farm. You attend Smallville High with me, and the photo you are holding shows another friend of ours called Pete. He left last year to move to Star City. When you're not in school, you spend most of your time either here in the barn or using your amazing gifts to save others" explained Chloe.

"What do you mean, amazing gifts?" Clark questioned.

_Ok, here comes the hard part, _Chloe thought to herself. "Well, somehow I always pictured myself on the other side of this conversation. Ok, how do I explain this…. Smallville was hit with the world's biggest meteor shower when you were little. Now, I know this sounds way out there, but some of the meteor rocks have had an extraterrestrial effect on certain people in the town, and it's my theory that you were one of them".

Clark looked at her, totally bewildered. "You think I have extraterrestrial powers? You mean I'm some sort of alien?" he asked.

"No! No, of course not".

"Then what? Some sort of mutant?" Clark demanded.

"Uh… yeah…who has saved my life on more than one occasion. See, you've sort of taken it upon yourself to be Smallville's self-appointed hero. And if you ask me, I think that that is amazing", she responded. Chloe gazed at Clark with a look of admiration and respect. _And that's why I love you, _she finished quietly to herself. Clark quickly jumped to his feet and began pacing around the loft.

"Nah, you've gotta be joking! What you're suggesting is ridiculous!" he exclaimed.

"What? So doors just fly off their hinges everyday? Look, I'll prove it to you", Chloe replied, looking around the room for something. Spying a crowbar on the table, she walked over and picked it up, holding it out towards Clark.

"Here, bend this", Chloe suggested. Clark looked at her skeptically and took the crowbar from her outstretched hand. Holding it in front of him, he began to apply pressure to the ends and was surprised to see it give way and bend to his will. Crying out, he dropped the crowbar and stepped back from it was if it was poisonous.

"We must have been pretty good friends if I trusted you with all this", Clark said as he tried to absorb this new information about himself.

"Yeah, well, actually you didn't. It's okay. I mean, you were just protecting yourself. A lot of people would betray you if they knew", Chloe said even though inside she was thinking, _yeah, I wish you would trust me!_

"Then how do you know?" Clark asked with suspicion in his voice.

"Well, earlier this year a girl you were sort of seeing, Alicia Baker, tricked you into demonstrating your abilities in front of me. You caught a car in mid-air, just like it was a toy! Though you didn't see us; and I decided not to tell you about it and instead wait for you to tell me on your own terms. Ever since then I have known about you and kept your secret. I would never betray you Clark" Chloe said.

Clark gazed at Chloe across the room. She looked back at him with sincerity in her eyes. Something stirs within Clark, and he feels an overwhelming sense of trust and respect for this girl in front of him. He is just about to tell her this when he is interrupted by a voice coming up the stairs behind him.

"Clark? Chloe? What are you guys doing? And what the hell happened to the front door of the house?" Lois yells out, coming up the stairs. She stops and looks at both Chloe and Clark, agitation is all over her face.

Clark turns to face Lois and asks," Who are you?"

"What do you mean, who am I? Is everything alright?"

"Lois!" Chloe calls out, rushing over to her. "Thank god you're here. Do you know where the Kent's are?"

"They're in Metropolis for Mr. Kent's heart exam. Clark, you know that", Lois responds, looking at Clark.

Chloe cuts in, "Well, not so much. He has amnesia, and he's having a hard time—"

Lois interrupts with, "Again?"

"What do you mean again?" Clark asks.

Lois looks at Clark with humor in her eyes and gives him the once over. "Well, at least this time you got clothes on!" she says, playfully hitting him in the arm. Chloe steps in between them before Clark can retaliate and says, "Lois, we need to get his parents back home! I'm thinking he caught up to whoever was behind the "robbery in plain sight" incident and maybe the thief attacked him somehow".

"Well, the Kent's aren't gonna be back till the end of the week, they have waited ages for this appointment, they can't afford to miss it. So I guess it's up to us to figure out what happened and fix it before his parents get back home" Lois suggests.

Chloe nods and says, "Well, I'm gonna go to the Torch and see what I can find out about amnesia and its causes."

Lois looks around at Clark who seems very distressed by the conversation. "Yeah, just leave Mr. Memory Reboot to me. I'm getting to be a pro at this. But you know what? You're gonna have to put up with PB and J because that's the extent of my culinary skills", she says with a smirk.

Satisfied that Clark will be safe in Lois' hands, Chloe turns and starts to head down the barn steps. Clark quickly dashes after her and catches her by the arm.

"Uh, please tell me I'm not related to her", he pleads.

Chloe chuckles and says, "No, I am. You live with her".

Clark looks relieved for a minute, but as Chloe starts to descend the stairs again, he stops her.

"Please don't leave me with her, I get the feeling that we don't get along very well. So far you are the only person I know that I can trust and having you around makes me feel less anxious. Please stay", Clark asks, his eyes as wide as a scared puppy. Chloe looks up at him and knows there is no way she can resist that face. _How many times have I dreamt of you saying those words to me? Only under completely different circumstances, such as in your room? _Chloe blushes as naughty thoughts spring to her mind and says, "Sure Clark, I guess I can stay. Though I think we should head inside, it's getting pretty dark. I'll go to the Torch in the morning".

Relief floods through Clark and he reaches down and pulls Chloe into a tight hug. Unfortunately, he forgets about his super strength and hugs her too hard.

"Clark! *gasp* Maybe you should ease up a little *gasp* I can't breathe!" Chloe struggles to say with the lack of oxygen. Clark realizes his mistakes and quickly lets her go, taking a step back. Immediately Chloe misses the feel of his arms around her, though she is grateful to breathe again.

"Sorry Chloe, guess I forgot my own strength. That's something I'm gonna need to be mindful of", apologizes Clark.

"That's ok", Chloe says at she smiles back at him. "Let's head inside".

Since the Kent's are gone, Lois offers Chloe their room to sleep in. She feels slightly odd being in their room, like she is invading their personal space. Though she couldn't bring herself to leave when Clark so desperately asked her to stay. She must admit to herself, she likes being the one needed by Clark for once. As Chloe curls up under the blankets, she thinks about her sexy best friend sleeping on the couch downstairs. _How am I going to get Clark's memory back? Part of me doesn't want to, as I like having him confide in me this way. Though I also don't like seeing him so scared either. _Sighing, she rolls over and stares at the ceiling of the Kent house. Again, her thoughts start to wonder like they did earlier, picturing herself looking at this roof from Clark's bedroom, with him beside her. _Stop it Chloe! Thinking like that will only bring heartache, don't go down that path again. _Though, remembering the way Clark hugged her earlier, Chloe can't help but indulge in a little harmless fanaticising as she drifts off to sleep with a smile on her face.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Please review and send feedback! Let me know if your liking this direction :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe awoke in the morning with a start, suddenly sitting up in bed at the sounds of shouting come from downstairs. It takes Chloe a minute to register that she is in the Kent's bedroom, and that the people shouting downstairs are Lois and Clark. Getting out of bed quickly, Chloe doesn't realise that she is only wearing a short night dress as she runs down the stairs. Entering the kitchen, she takes note of the scene before her. Lois and Clark are standing on opposite sides of the counter, both of them yelling over the top of each other. Neither of them acknowledges her presence in the room, so she decides that the only way to get their attention is to try some yelling herself.

"Hey! Guys, SHUT UP!" she screams out. Lois and Clark stop mid-sentence and turn to look at the intruder to their conversation. As they take in the short, pink night dress that Chloe is wearing, they immediately shut up and cast knowing glances at each other.

"Thank you! Now, what is going on?" Chloe asks, completely oblivious to the looks she is receiving from Lois and Clark.

"Nice outfit Chloe, I didn't know you were a fan of pink!" retorts Lois, hiding a smirk on her face. Chloe glances across at the look of shock, with a hint of approval, that Clark is giving her, before looking down at herself. _Ah! I forgot to grab my robe! _Crossing her arms across her chest in a poor attempt to cover herself up, Chloe just shakes her head.

"That doesn't matter at the moment. Are you gonna tell me what it is that the two of you are yelling about at 8am in the morning?" she asks.

"Well, I was just telling Smallville here that I don't think it would be a good idea for him to go to class today and that instead we should take him to the doctor to get him checked out as this is the second time his memory has gone walkabouts. However….HE insists on going to class, saying there is nothing wrong when there clearly is as he can't even remember his own name!" Lois explains, shooting dirty glances at Clark.

"I do remember my name! It's Clark, your Lois and she is Chloe. I just don't see what good a doctor will do, instead I should be helping Chloe to track down this thief to see if he has some kind of connection to my memory loss", Clark responded, returning Lois' dirty glare.

Chloe looked back and forth between Lois and Clark, shaking her head at the two most important people in her life and wondering why they always seem to rile each other up. She could understand Lois' concern for Clark; however she also knew that Clark seeing a doctor was not a good idea. So she decided it was probably best if she interceded on Clark's behalf.

"Look, I understand your concern Lois, but Clark does have a point. He says he feels ok, and last time his memory loss sorted itself out. I think it would be a good idea for Clark to come with me to the Torch, see if anything there jogs his memory while he is helping me. Besides, he is the only one who got a look at the thief and the getaway vehicle".

Lois considered her words, and decided that Chloe was probably right.

"Ok, fine. Clark can go with you, at least that way I get out of Clark sitting duties then. If you need me, I'll be at the Talon". Lois turned and stalked out of the house, banging the door behind her.

Clark watched her go with relief, and then turned towards Chloe. He again looked at the short dress she was wearing, how it barely covered her small frame, totally showing off her curves. As his mind started to think about what might be underneath the thin fabric, he all of a sudden felt a burning sensation behind his eyes and only just managed to turn his eyes away from Chloe before a blast of heat came from his eyes. Across the room a curtain surrounding the window burst into flame. Exclaiming in alarm, Chloe quickly grabbed the jug of water on the bench and tossed it on the flames. The small fire sizzled out, leaving a few strands of singed cloth. She turned to face Clark, a mixture of alarm and awe written across her features.

"What the hell was that?!" She asked. Clark looked back at her, feeling ashamed at his thoughts about his friend.

"I guess that was one ability you didn't know about huh?" Clark responded, a sheepish grin on his face.

"No! How did you do that?"

"Ah…. I was looking at you and then I felt this burning sensation behind my eyes…and I …ah…fire came out…" Clark shrugged, not wanting to tell Chloe the _real_ thoughts behind the flames.

Chloe looked at him quizzically, not really comprehending. She shrugged also, just putting it down to another weird meteor side affect. Looking at the clock on the wall, Chloe realised that they were running late for class, so she turned around and ran upstairs to get ready. Clark watched her go, trying to process what just happened and why thoughts of Chloe produced that reaction in him. Sure, she was pretty but so were a lot of other girls. But for some reason, seeing Chloe standing there in that little pink dress, protecting his secret from Lois, made him feel a sense of attraction towards her. _Chloe is definitely someone that I need to get to know better, and find out more about my history with her_, Clark thought to himself.

Upstairs, Chloe was also running the previous situation around in her mind. Changing into her outfit for the day, Chloe chided herself for not being more aware of her clothing or lack thereof in this case, before she had gone running downstairs. _Clark probably thinks that I'm some sort of sissy who wears pink outfits! _Chloe though angrily. _But what was up with the flame thrower eyes? Obviously there is some sort of trigger for it; otherwise he would be shooting flames out all the time. I wonder what he was thinking when it happened? I think I am going to need to keep a closer eye on Clark Kent._

Yay, update finally! Sorry for the lateness, I've just recently started a new job so it's been pretty crazy. Anyways, more to come soon. Please R&R!! I love getting feedback; it helps me to determine what direction to take next.




	4. Chapter 4

Here we go, next chapter. Thank you so much for your reviews, it inspires me to keep writing. This is where my version will start to differ quite differently to the show; I have come up with a different, darker reason for Clark's memory loss as I didn't really like the one the show used. So I have changed some details about Kevin Grady to fit the story, so hopefully everyone can follow along. More action soon to follow.

Redgiant – yes, I decided to make this Clark more mature that the TV version, and also slightly more bold. TV Clark really frustrates me sometimes with the decisions he makes, so hopefully you will like this new and improved version! As for the ending…well you will just have to wait and see, though I have already confessed I am a Chlarker at heart, so I am sure you will like it!

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Chloe brought her car to a stop in front of Smallville High. Clark looked at the building in front of him, expecting to feel some recognition for the place in which he had spent the last four years of his life; but it didn't come. He was beginning to feel really dejected about his lack of memories, and was starting to wonder if he would ever get them back. He felt completely useless, and he also felt bad for imposing himself upon Chloe. She didn't deserve a blank slate for a friend.

Chloe glanced over at Clark and she could tell by the expression on his face that he was beating himself up over his current situation. He always seemed to have a tendency to over think situations, and find a way of blaming himself even though it often had nothing to do with him. He was just so sensitive sometimes, even though he rarely let anyone see that side of him. It was just one thing on a long list of many that made Chloe love him. _If only he knew how I felt, and then maybe I could help to shoulder some of the pain he keeps locked up inside, _she thought. _Maybe…just maybe this time will be different…though I shouldn't get my hopes up again._

"Clark, I know this will be very difficult for you. I'm here if you need anything at all", Chloe said as she reached out and placed a tentative hand on Clark's arm. Clark looked down at her small hand resting on his arm, and placed his own much larger one over the top. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, remembering not to use to much force so that he didn't crush her hand. _She is just so fragile, and yet she is the one offering me strength,_ Clark marvelled to himself. _I must find out more about her today. _

"Thank you Chloe, that means a lot to me. *sigh* Ok, let's go", Clark replied.

Clark and Chloe left the car park and made their way towards the Torch office. As they were walking down the hall, Lana Lang appeared around the corner in front of them and stopped at her locker. As they passed, she looked up and sent a sad smile in their direction before quickly looking away again. Chloe noticed that Clark noticed Lana, and prepared herself for the onslaught of painful questions as they stepped into the Torch office.

"Who was that girl?" Clark asked as she closed the door behind them. "Do I know her? She seemed to know me".

Chloe took a deep breath and began, "That is Lana Lang, the love of your life". She closed her eyes, knowing that somehow Clark would remember his feelings for Lana and again Chloe would be relegated to the role of sidekick.

"The love of my life?" Clark responded with surprise. "Why in the world would that girl be the love of my life?" he queried.

Startled, Chloe opened her eyes and stared at Clark. _He doesn't remember! For whatever reason, Clark does not remember his undying love for Lana! Ok…you better tread carefully here Chloe. _

"Well…you two have sort of had this _thing_ going on for the past four years. It's been very much a on-again, off-again relationship. However, whatever storms seem to come your way, you two always seem to find your way back to each other. I suppose this time will be no different…"Chloe trailed off, turning around with a sigh and plonking herself down heavily in her office chair, facing away from Clark.

Looking at Chloe's back, Clark could tell that for some reason the subject of Lana and himself was a sore point for her. _I wonder why? Had there at one stage been a _thing_ between himself and Chloe, and had this Lana girl interrupted that?_ This lack of a memory thing was turning out to be much more complicated then Clark had first thought. He needed to know more about his past with Chloe, so he knew how to fix her pain. Clark walked over and sat in another chair, turning to face Chloe.

"Chloe…ah…um..did you and I have a _thing_ at some point in the past?" Clark asked, with a subtle hint of hopefulness to his voice. She looked back at him, completely blown away by his question. This was not how she had thought this conversation would go.

"Well, not really….there was this one time in the Talon a few years back…but both of us were drugged or something so that doesn't really count" Chloe replied in a rush, all of a sudden feeling very awkward. She stood up and began pacing around the room. "We did go to the Spring Fling together once, but you ran out on me to save Lana, so that doesn't really count either. So I would say that the answer is no Clark; we have never had a thing", _no matter how much I may have wanted it, _Chloe finished silently to herself.

Clark watched her pacing furiously back and forth across the room. Obviously there was more to their history than Chloe was willing to share. For once, since the slate was essentially clean, Clark decided to be bold and ask directly what he wanted to know.

"Why not? What happened that stopped us? Was it my secret?" He asked, worried that he was the cause of his friend's obvious discomfort.

Chloe stopped pacing and turned to Clark. She just stared at his eyes, looking for any hint that this line of questioning might be leading down a path she didn't want to go. But looking at his face, she could tell that he truly had no idea of the past between them, and he was simply trying to piece everything together. _Don't get your hopes up Sullivan, it's probably just an innocent question; don't go looking for a hidden meaning where there is none_. Sighing again, Chloe walked over and sat down next to Clark. _How do I sum up our complicated history? Can I really blame Clark for everything? Or was it partly my fault that I kept chickening out?_

"No Clark, it was never really your fault. You were simply in love with someone else, and I really can't fault you for that. Over the years I have just learnt to accept that you and Lana will always be together, end of story. Anyway, that's not important at the moment. What is important is getting your memory back, so let's get to it", and with that Chloe stood up and went over to her computer; end of discussion. In typical Chloe Sullivan style, she was avoiding the subject when it became too personal and her feelings were on the line. Even though Clark may seem more receptive towards her now, she knew that as soon as he got his memory back, he would go running straight back to Lana; and she just couldn't set herself up for heartbreak like that again. So she thought it would be best if she distanced herself slightly from Clark for now, until everything went back to normal.

Clark watched Chloe move away and throw herself into research mode. He knew that their conversation had struck a deep cord with her, and that she was obviously uncomfortable discussing their history. But without his memories to stop him, Clark could not think of a reason why he would pick this Lana girl over Chloe. She was beautiful, caring, funny and totally loyal. She had never betrayed his secret, and went out of her way to protect him at all costs. She was amazing. Even with this revelation, Clark knew he had to tread carefully, as he didn't want to scare her off. He could already feel her placing a distance between them after their intimate conversation. He didn't want her to put up any more barriers. So he decided that for know he would play it cool, and wait for the right opportunity.

He turned around to the computer next to him and began looking for any clues that may explain his sudden memory loss, all the while shooting secret longing glances at Chloe.

"So, do you remember the make and model of the yellow truck you saw? I figure it's probably the best place to start, since you don't remember much before that", Chloe asked, avoiding eye contact with Clark. _If I just keep looking at the computer screen, maybe I can just forget our previous conversation and things can go back to normal, with me as good ol' sidekick Chloe!_ She thought to herself.

"Um…yeah. It was an F250, and I think the licence plate was _moto x 1_", Clark replied.

"Ok…just give me a sec while I enter it into the database and see if we get any hits….yes! It says here that it's registered to a Kevin Grady and that he works out at the Luthorcorp plant near Granville. This does not look good", Chloe knew that the second Luthorcorp showed up on the screen that this situation had just gotten a whole lot more complicated. She needed to investigate this further; however she didn't want to put Clark at risk by taking him to the Luthorcorp plant, just in case Lex was there. Who knew what he might try to pull with Clark's guard down. Picking up her bag, she turned to face Clark.

"Clark, I need to go out to the plant and see what else I can find out about our friend Mr. Grady. But you can't come with me. The plant is owned by someone named Lex Luthor, and he is a very dangerous man. He has been sniffing around your secret for the past few years now, and I don't think it would be a good idea for you to put yourself on his radar right now given your memory loss. He is the type of guy who would use it to his advantage to get information out of you. So I want you to head to the Talon and find Lois. Stay with her until I get back, ok?" Chloe said, a slight edge to her voice so she could convey the seriousness of the situation to Clark.

"Chloe, I know you are concerned for me, but I don't like the idea of you going out there on your own! What if something happens? I should be there to protect you", Clark responded, standing up to make his intentions clear.

Chloe looked back at him, knowing that he was only trying to do what he thought best. _Typical Clark, always putting others before himself. But I won't let him endanger himself, Lex is just too unpredictable. I need to keep him a safe distance away. _

"Clark, thank you for looking out for me, really, but I can take care of myself. You don't understand how dangerous it could be for you to go to the plant. I promise not to do anything rash, and I will be back before dark. Meet me in the loft at sunset and I will let you know what I find. Anyway, if anything bad goes down….just keep an ear out for me, I'll call ", she said, smiling at how cool it was to finally talk about Clark's abilities openly with him.

"Ok, but I really don't like this. I promise if you need me, I will be there within a second" Clark stated, as he moved forward and embraced Chloe tightly in his arms. "Be safe Chloe", he whispered into her ear.

Standing there in his arms, Chloe felt her guard start to slip as she leaned into his embrace. _I wish I could stay here forever in his arms, and that he wouldn't let go. _But she knew is was a stupid whim, and so stepped back out of his arms, trying to plaster a fake smile on her face.

"Of course Clark…see you soon!" and with that, Chloe turned and raced out of the Torch, before her face could betray her.

Clark watched her go, instantly feeling empty without her in his arms. Again he was touched by how much she obviously cared about him, and how she was willing to risk her own life to protect his. Clark decided he needed to find out more about his past with Chloe from a more willing source; so that he could find a way to fix the mess his old self had caused. He thought it best to go to the girl who had come between them…

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There we go, hoped you like it! Now, does any one have thoughts on how I should write the character of Lana? I'm not really sure how to write her in my version of the episode. Whether she would try to win Clark back? Or push him towards Chloe? Any thoughts? Please review :)


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you so much for the reviews and feedback :) I decided to go with the idea that Lana would still want to be with Clark, as things at the time weren't going well with Jason etc. So I thought she would see Clark's memory loss as a chance to start over. But I didn't want to make her too pushy either, but Clark shuts her down as you will soon see, so all is good:)

Also, as you now know I am taking this in a different direction that the show, so the explanation for Clark's memory loss will be quite different. Hopefully you all like it - though I must warn I'm not very good at writing action type stuff, so please bear with me:)

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Clark headed out into the parking lot, and spied Lana getting into her four-wheeled drive. He ran over to her and taped on the window. Surprised, Lana rolled it down and looked curiously at Clark.

"Hi Lana, I'm not sure if Chloe has filled you in on my situation, but I'd really like to talk with you if you don't mind?" Clark asked, totally neutral; not a hint of the usual longing was in his voice. Lana studied his face and decided that it couldn't hurt to hear what he had to stay. After Chloe had told her what happened on the phone last night, she had been waiting all day for Clark to come to her. She was hoping that if his memories of their past were gone…they might be able to start over again.

"Sure Clark, I don't mind. Chloe did feel me in, and I'm really sorry. It must be tough for you, not remembering your history with people when you meet them", Lana said as she hoped out of the vehicle.

"Yeah…actually that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. Do you wanna sit down?" Clark asked as he motioned to the bench near them.

"Okay", Lana responded and sat down on the bench in anticipation. _This is it, a chance for Clark and me to have a fresh start!_ Lana thought, positioning herself close to Clark and flashing her most charming smile. Clark noticed the look she was giving him was obliviously meant to charm him, but he just didn't feel it. He began to compare her to Chloe, and how she had never tried to influence him in anyway since he lost his memory; she had been completely honest with him. For some reason, he knew that Lana might not be so forth coming.

"So…Lana. Chloe informed me that you and I used to have this…_thing_ I think was the word she used. Is that true?" he asked.

"Yes, it's true. We dated each other for a while, mainly the start of last year", Lana replied, flashing her best flirtations smile and inching closer to him on the bench. Clark noticed this, casually moved away from her. Lana frowned back at him.

"Um…why did we stop seeing each other? I'd really like to know", Clark asked, hoping to understand what had happened to them and how it may relate to Chloe.

Lana gazed back at Clark, unsure how to respond. So much had happened between them, how should she sum it up in a few words? She decided that if she wanted a fresh start, it was best to not tell Clark all the details of their history. So she decided to feign ignorance.

"So would I".

"It was me? I was the cause of our break-up? I just stopped it, for no apparent reason?" Clark demanded. Lana just stared back at him, letting him believe he was the sole reason for their split. _Hopefully this way he will know that I still care for him and want to be with him, _Lana thought to herself.

Clark had figured that he was the reason for the split, most likely something to do with keeping his secret, as Chloe had told him that Lana didn't know. However, he had hoped that maybe Chloe might have been apart of it, that maybe he had left Lana for her and then things got complicated, which was why Chloe didn't want to talk about it. He just didn't understand his past actions. If he had felt any of the feelings towards Chloe that he was experiencing now, then he would have done something about it. _I must be the biggest, dumbest alien ever!_ Clark silently screamed in his head.

Lana decided to seize this opportunity, as she mistook Clark's look of despair. Leaning in and placing a hand on his arm, she said, "But that's ok Clark. It's in the past now. This is our chance to start over, I still love you. I have always loved you".

Clark moved sideways, out of her grasp. _At this rate, I'm gonna end up on the ground! _He saw the look of hurt flash through Lana's eyes, and decided that he should be honest about how he was feeling. He was sure that Lana was a nice person, and perhaps his old self had reason for loving her. But now, like seeing the world through new eyes, Clark could no longer ignore the beauty in front of him that was Chloe.

"Well, this time it will be different", Clark stated.

"This time?" Lana asked, her hopes of a reconciliation rising again.

"Yeah…what can you tell me about my history with Chloe?" Clark responded.

"Chloe?" Lana was confused by Clark's choice of topic. Why was he bringing her up, when they were discussing their relationship?

"Yes, Chloe. I asked her about our past, as I don't remember it, and she said that we have never been together. Is that also true?" Clark asked, his voice pleading for Lana to disagree.

Lana was seriously confused now, why would he want to know about Chloe? However, looking at his large, pleading eyes; she found herself unable to resist and decided to tell him the truth.

"That's correct. While Chloe has been in love with you for some time now, you have never returned those feelings. You have always been just good friends. But why the sudden interest in Chloe now?" Lana wanted to know.

"Because even though the old me may never have noticed Chloe, all day I haven't been able to get her out of my head. I love watching her; it's so graceful the way she moves. And her laugh is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard! Also, she has been looking out for me and helping me ever since this whole mess started, even though she doesn't have to", Clark said, his voice becoming more animated, as a huge grin broke across his face.

Looking at Clark, Lana instantly knew that she no longer had an influence over him. That given a second chance, Clark had chosen someone else. Even though Lana was disappointed, she had to admit that she had not seen Clark this happy for a long time. So she chose to let go for now, knowing that Clark will again choose her when he gets his memory back. Also, she knew that Chloe would not be able to withstand another rejection when Clark changed his mind.

"Wow…you must really like her, and I am happy that you're happy. However, I must warn you Clark. You and Chloe had been down this path before; you have gotten her hopes up. And if or when your memories come back and knowing everything, you change your mind; I don't think Chloe will cope very well with rejection. Please be careful of getting her hopes up, she has been burned before", Lana warned. Her friend taken care of, Lana stood up and got into her jeep; driving away before Clark could see the tears forming in her eyes.

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Meanwhile, Chloe had managed to sneak her way into the Luthorcorp plant at Granville. By parking her car a few miles down the road, and then finding a hole small enough in the fence to climb through; she was now making her way to the administration office to take a peek at the employee records. Ducking behind a low wall, Chloe waited until the guard had rounded the corner at the end of the hall before she ran over to the door into the records room. Using a plastic card, she managed to wiggle the door open. Closing it behind her, she turned on the overhead switch to illuminate the dark room. Searching the filing cabinets along the wall, Chloe located the files for employees E-H. Pulling the draw open, she began to hunt for Grady. Locating his file, she pulled it out and sat down at a desk, opening it up in front of her.

Skimming the first few lines, Chloe was shocked to discover that Grady was in fact not an employee of Luthorcorp; but rather a patient of level 33.1! The file mentioned that Grady had been recruited from the local Granville High school and had taken part in a series of tests. While the names of the tests were unfamiliar to her, she did understand that they had been experimenting with the meteor rocks to somehow enhance the natural abilities that Grady possessed. The file went on to explain that the initial tests had been successful; and that due to a concentrated dose of meteor rock through injection, he could now completely wipe a person's memory, instead of only taking a few minutes like he had previously. _Oh no, this does not look good for Clark! Lex must be really upping the ante if he is using meteor freaks to get to Clark. I guess by taking his memory and making him vulnerable, maybe Lex believes he can get the information out of Clark that he so desperately wants. I've got to warn him!_ Chloe quickly stuffed the file in her bag as evidence and got up from the chair.

Just as she was turning around, she heard the handle of the door turning from the outside. Frozen in fear, Chloe quickly looked around the room for a place to hide, but there was nothing. The door opened and a man in a white lab coat stepped into the room. Upon seeing Chloe, he also froze.

"What are you doing in here? Who are you?" the man shouted, reaching out his hand and pressing a red panic button next to the door. Immediately sirens overhead began to wail, alerting the security room that there was an emergency. Panicked, Chloe decided to run at the man and knock him to the floor to try to escape. However, she misjudged the mans size and he easily grabbed hold of her arms. The next thing she knew, more men were rushing into the room, and one of them placed a cloth over her mouth. As Chloe tried to struggle to get away, her body all of a sudden became very heavy and she fell to the floor. Everything went black…

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Hehehe, aren't I horrible to leave it there!  Don't worry, next chapter to come soon. Please review, I am very grateful for your feedback!


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry Mari2anne, it's my fault. When I wrote that chapter, I forgot that earlier I had said Clark doesn't know he is an alien, he just thinks he is meteor infected. My bad :(

The action is coming, just bear with the romance a little bit longer :)

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Clark returned home just before sunset, and decided to wait for Chloe in the barn. He needed time to process the information he had learnt today about his relationship history. Clark trudged up the stairs and slumped down on the couch. So as far as he understood, Chloe resented him for stringing her along and never returning her feelings. Lana said that he and Chloe had been down 'this path' before and that she had been burned by him. Even though he had no recollection of that time, Clark instantly felt guilty for hurting Chloe and wished there was something he could do to make up for it. At the same time, he was worried that maybe Chloe had been burned so badly that if he did tell her how he felt now, that she might not return those feelings anymore. She might reject him. _Maybe it's best to just leave it be, and wait and see whether I will regain my memory and this whole mess will just disappear. But how do I do that when I care for her so much? _In frustration Clark picked up the nearest object to him, which was a lamp, and threw it against the opposite wall, leaving a large hole.

"Woah! Smallville, way to throw a temper tantrum!" Lois said as she came up the barn steps and into the loft. "What's got your panties in such a twist that you're putting holes in the barn wall?" Lois asked, sitting next to Clark on the couch. He just turned and glared at her.

"Don't worry about it; it's got nothing to do with you Lois. Just getting frustrated by the whole memory thing", Clark responded angrily. He got up and started pacing back and forth across the floor, clenching his fists.

Seeing his obvious distress, Lois decided to take pity on Clark, and offer his some advice.

"Look, you may not remember all the players on the board, but you can still play the game", Lois said.

"Are you gonna tell me how I'm supposed to do that?" Clark asked doubtfully, stopping to look at Lois.

"Trust your gut. Like, what's it say about me?"

Smiling in spite of himself, Clark responded by saying**, "**We don't like each other very much".

Smiling back, Lois said,** "**You're on the right track. Keep it up, Smallville". _Job done!_ With a satisfied smirk, Lois got up and headed back to the house.

Clark sat down in the spot she had just vacated. In his gut he knew that he had caused Chloe pain in the past, so it was best to just let things return to normal. He didn't want to risk hurting her again; he just wouldn't be able to live with himself if he did. So when Chloe arrived, he would just play it cool and pretend everything was alright. He heard a car pull up outside, and someone come into the barn. Sitting forward in anticipation, Clark turned to greet Chloe with a wide smile. However, it soon faded when he saw who was standing at the top step.

There Lex Luthor stood with an appraising look on his face. At the sight of him, something in Clark's gut told him to be wary of this man, so he put his guard up. Mistaking Clark's look for one of confusion, Lex strode into the room.

"I suppose you are wondering who I am? My name is Lex Luthor, and Chloe Sullivan told me about your condition. I'm so sorry to hear what has happened, it must be very difficult for you" Lex said, his voice full of fake sympathy. He stretched out his hand to shake Clark's. Clark tentatively grasped it, unsure of Lex's purpose in being here.

"Chloe? You spoke to her today?" Clark asked, knowing full well that she had gone to the Granville plant to do some digging on Grady.

"Yes, I saw her at the Talon earlier; she appeared to be in a rush to get somewhere. Anyway, that doesn't matter. I come over here to see if there was anything I could do to help you. I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but late last year I experienced some memory loss of my own, and I found it helpful to talk to others about it. Has anything strange happened that you might not be able to explain?" Lex asked. He carefully studied Clark's face, looking for any signs that he might indeed be different somehow. Feeling uncomfortable under Lex's intense gaze, Clark causally moved to the other side of the room, facing away from him.

"I'm not sure what you mean Lex", Clark stammered, trying to put Lex off. Knowing that Clark was putting up barriers, Lex decided to try a different tact.

"Well, I know before the incident happened, you had come to me expressing your concerns over some things that had happened to you recently; things you couldn't explain", Lex responded, moving to stand next to Clark. Instantly fearful, Clark thought, _how does he know about that? Have I shared my secret with him? Chloe told me that no one besides my parents knew and I feel that I should trust her. Best play dumb! _

"Really? Sorry Lex, I don't know what your talking about. I don't remember that conversation. Anyway, not to be rude, but I'm supposed to be meeting Chloe at sunset. She should be here soon", Clark said meaningfully, as he was uncomfortable in Lex's presence. Lex could sense that Clark was growing defensive, and chose to leave the issue for now, in the hope that Clark may come to him later.

"That's ok Clark, I'll go. But I don't think Miss Sullivan is coming", Lex said.

"Why's that?" Clark asked, suspicion in his voice.

"Cos the sun set a while ago", and with that Lex turned and headed out of the barn.

Stunned, Clark quickly rushed to the window and looked out at the night sky. _When did that happen? I must have been so distracted that I didn't notice! _Looking down at his watch, he noticed that it was now well after 8pm. Chloe should have been back by now. _Something must have happened! I need to find Chloe! _But Clark had no idea where the Granville plant was. He decided to head to the Torch first to see what information he could gather.

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Clark rushed into the Torch at full speed. He began opening draws and flicking through piles of notes to discover the location of the Granville Plant. On top of the bin Clark find a Google map search that outlined the way to the plant. He was just about to speed away when a pick note in the bin caught his eye. When he had removed the map, the note underneath was visible and it had his name on it. Opening it up, Clark quickly scanned the few typed lines; his eyes widening even more at each sentence. It read:

_I want to let you in on a secret._

_I'm not who you think I am._

_In fact my disguise is so thin; I'm surprised you haven't seen right through me._

_I'm the girl of you dreams, masquerading as your best friend._

_Sometimes I want to rip off this facade like I did at the spring formal,_

_But I can't because you'll get scared and you'll run away again._

_So I decided it's better to live with a lie than expose my true feelings._

_My dad told me there are two types of girls._

_The ones you grow out of and the ones you grow into._

_I really hope I'm the latter._

_I may not be the one you love today,_

_But I'll let you go for now,_

_Hoping one day you'll fly back to me_

_Because I think you're worth the wait._

_Chloe…I had no idea. _The emotion in the words was so raw and honest; it bought tears to Clark's eyes as he read them. He folded up the letter and put it in his pocket. A look of fierce determination came over Clark's face. _I __**will **__find you Chloe, I promise. And when I do, I will not let you go until you understand how much you really mean to me. I refuse to let fear control my life anymore; I won't walk away again. _With the plant location memorized, Clark turned and raced towards the plant; determined to save Chloe at all costs.

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Again, I am leaving it there. Sorry these chapters are so short, lots happening at the moment, so this is the only way to keep the story moving for now. But I will try for a longer one next time. Please review! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Warning: this chapter contains torture scenes.

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Chloe's head felt really heavy and for some reason she couldn't move her arms or legs. Slowly… painfully opening her eyes, she blinked back the darkness. Chloe appeared to be in a dimly lit room with no furniture save for the chair she was currently tied to. Over head, there was a single fluorescent blub that cast a white glare over the centre of the room where she sat. She couldn't make out anything in the shadows of the room. Chloe wiggled each limb, checking to see if anything was broken. She was relieved to find that besides a splitting headache and a few bruises, she was otherwise fine. _Where am I? The last thing I remember was trying to escape from labcoat guy back in the records room. How long have I been out? And who is holding me here?_ She had a lot of questions, and very few answers. Chloe wanted to call out for Clark in the hope that he might hear her, but she was afraid that by doing so she might place him in danger. So she chose to bide her time and wait to see what happened.

Fortunately she didn't have to wait long. A door in the corner of the room swung open and three men strode into the room. Two of the men stood guard next to the door, while the third man stopped just in front of Chloe. He was dressed in a business suit and had a small earpiece attached to his left ear. Smirking down at Chloe, the man began to speak.

"Well Ms. Sullivan, good to see that you are at last awake", the man said.

"Oh, sorry to hold you up", Chloe responded sarcastically. "Where the hell am I? And why are you holding me? I have rights you know, and your violating about 10 of them!"

"Such spunk Ms. Sullivan! That's a trait I like in a girl. Never you mind where or how you are here, all you need to do is answer a few simple questions and then you can go".

"Is all this really necessary for a few _simple_ questions?" Chloe shot back, instantly becoming restless, trying to find a weak spot in her bonds. The man began to pace back and forth in front of her. "Besides, how do you know my name? I don't know yours".

"Well, that really isn't important at this time. Breaking and entering is a serious crime Ms. Sullivan. So yes, I do believe your circumstance is necessary. Just answer the questions and all this can go away and you can get on with your life. Now, first question: how did you get into the plant?" the man asked, never making eye contact.

_Well, I suppose if I answer some questions and delay long enough…hopefully Clark will find me! He must know I am missing by now. _"Ok, I'll play your little game. I entered through a hole in the back fence and made my way into the plant. It really wasn't that hard, you guys need to hire new security men", Chloe answered, shooting a glare at the two men guarding the door. They seemed to be oblivious to her deliberate attempt to get a rise out of them.

Chuckling, the man responded, "Yes, I do believe you are right. I will have someone look into it. Okay, second question: why were you in the records room? What were you looking for?" The man continued his relentless pacing.

"Well…a friend of mine bet me a $100 dollars if I could sneak into the plant and steal something. I figured a file was as good as anything. I would have had that money if your men hadn't shown up! You owe me $100 bucks", Chloe said, smiling broadly. However, inwardly she was freaked out, _where are you Clark? What is taking you so long?_

"Ms. Sullivan, I do not take kindly to lying. Again, I ask why you were really in that room?" With that, the man stopped pacing and turned to glare down at her, all joking gone from his face.

"W-w-ell", she stammered, "A friend of mine, Kevin Grady, went missing a few months ago and I know that he worked at the plant. I was trying to find out whether there was any information on his whereabouts in his file" Chloe said, making up a story in the spot.

The man seemed to buy it, as he moved onto the next question.

"Thank you. Now, Ms. Sullivan, what information can you give us about Clark Kent?" he asked, still staring her in the eyes. Chloe was surprised, she wasn't expecting that question.

"What? What does Clark Kent have to do with anything? Why would an obviously fancy man in a suit want to know information about a simple farm boy?" she asked, instantly on the defensive. _I knew it! Lex must be behind this somehow. He really will do anything to find out Clark's secret. I hope Clark is being careful! _

Clark was indeed being careful. He had just discovered that he had x-ray vision and that by concentrating, he could see through solid objects. _What kind of freak am I? _Clark thought to himself, as he scanned the interior of the Granville plant. Clark had spied Chloe's little VW Beetle parked about half a mile down the road. He had also found the same hole in the fence that Chloe had used. Now he was trying to locate her within the building. However, everything appeared to be normal. All the employees appeared to be just going about their business as usual. _Where are you Chloe? _Clark sighed in frustration. _How am I meant to find her when I don't even fully understand my own abilities? For all I know, I could simply fly into the building and scoop Chloe into my arms, and then fly away! Yeah right, that's just wishful thinking. _Clark remembered that before Chloe had left the Torch earlier today, she said something about calling out if she needed Clark. At the time, Clark had just thought she was being sarcastic. But maybe he really could hear her? He could do a lot of other really weird stuff, so why not hear long distances? Clark decided to close his eyes and just listen. At first he could only hear the wind rustling the grass near his feet. But as he concentrated harder, he started to hear the distinct foot steps of the guard as he made his way around the perimeter of the building. Then he could hear two women having a conversation inside the building and the noises of various machines. Clark continued to concentrate on the image of Chloe's beautiful, smiling face in his mind; searching for her through all the noise. At last he found what he thought to be a distinct heartbeat, which was somehow familiar and comforting to him. Opening his eyes, Clark knew that somehow he had managed to find Chloe's heartbeat! Her heart was beating faster than normal; however she seemed to be relatively all right. The tension in Clark's body eased a bit, knowing that Chloe was ok. _Right, now to reach her. _Clark knew that the sound of her heartbeat was coming from somewhere near the northwest corner of the building, however when he scanned that area with his enhanced vision, he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. There appeared to be a solid wall, which for some reason he couldn't see through. _I beat that Chloe is behind that wall. However, I can't just go running in there without a plan of some sort. I have no idea what's behind that wall. Ok…maybe if I super speed past the cameras into the room opposite the wall, which appears to be empty, and from there I can better assess the situation. _His mind made up, Clark sped toward the heartbeat that was calling out to him.

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"Look, I don't want to play games anymore Ms. Sullivan. If you want to leave here unharmed, just tell me what you know about Clark Kent", the man was now bending down over Chloe, gripping the arms of the chair so tight that his knuckles had turned white. There was a serious glint to his eyes, which meant he was not going to take no for an answer.

Still trying to stall, Chloe decided she needed to say something. Again, she just made it up was she went. "Ok…well. He was adopted by his parents at the age of 3. He attends Smallville High and is the current quarterback. Are you looking to place bets?" Chloe answered, while silently screaming for Clark in her head.

Slamming his fist down on the chair, the man shouted, "I am not here to muck around Ms. Sullivan. Answer the question truthfully. I want to know any information you have on the extraordinary abilities that Clark Kent may possess!"

"Honestly, I don't know what you are talking about. I don't know anything special about Clark!" Chloe said, truly frightened now.

"Ok, if that's how you want to play it", the man said calmly as he stood back and removed his jacket. He handed it to one of the guards behind him and then began to roll up his sleeves. "Let's see if you respond to some gentle persuasion".

The man moved behind her, and grabbed her forefinger. He began to place pressure on the finger, bending it backwards. "I ask you again, Ms. Sullivan, tell me what you know about Clark", he said calmly, bending her finger back slowly.

"Ahhh! I….don't….know…anything!" Chloe stammered out, as pain began to shoot through her arm from her finger.

"Tell me!"

"Nnnnoooo!" She screamed out. Chloe screamed out again as she heard the bone in her finger snap! The man moved onto the next finger, again slowly bending it backwards.

"C'mon Ms. Sullivan. Aren't you a reporter? I'm sure you must value the use of your fingers. Now me what I want to know and most of your fingers will stay intact", the man whispered into her ear. However, he underestimated Chloe's stubbornness, as she kept her mouth firmly shut. She bit the inside of her lip to keep from screaming aloud as another of her fingers snapped backwards.

"I see you are much tougher than I gave you credit for. Maybe I should try a more painful tact", the man spoke again as he moved around to face her. He glared down at her; however Chloe refused to meet his gaze, instead staring intently at her shoes. All of a sudden the man's hand shot out and he backhanded Chloe across the face, drawing blood from her lip. Again, Chloe refused to give the man any satisfaction by keeping her mouth closed; silently screaming inside her head.

The man began to grow frustrated. Again, he shouted at her, "You do not impress me with your bravery act Ms. Sullivan. I can break you if necessary. Just tell me about Clark! I know he is no ordinary farm boy, that he possesses abilities that others can only dream of. Just tell me what they are!" the man spat out as he backhanded Chloe across the face again, causing her left eye to begin to swell.

Silently Chloe began to sob, tears dripping down her face. The room began to swim before her eyes due to the searing pain coming from both her hand and face. Chloe didn't know how much more she could take. Another blow to her head could be fatal.

_I promised I would take your secret to the grave Clark, and if that's what I have to do to protect you…then so be it. _Chloe closed her eyes and bowed her head, waiting for the blow she knew was coming that would end her life. She would never betray Clark, even with her own life on the line. _I love you Clark…I wish I had told you earlier just how much you mean to me. Hopefully you will understand that I had to protect you, and that you will forgive me. _

However, the blow Chloe was waiting for never came. Instead, she felt a sudden breeze blow across her face, followed by three loud bangs. Startled, Chloe opened her eyes and lifted her head. The three men were now laying on the floor, out cold, and someone was untying her hands.

"Chloe? Are you ok?" Clark asked, as he broke her bonds and came around into view, crouching in front of her. Gingerly, he reached out a hand and cupped her face, looking at the large, ugly bruises that were already forming. Both concern and guilt were evident in his eyes. _What have I done? All this is because of me!_ Clark thought to himself. However, a huge smile broke across Chloe's damaged face as realisation hit. Clark had come to rescue her! She leaned forward and practically jumped into Clark's arms.

"Clark! Thank god you found me! I was starting to think you weren't coming" Chloe whispered into his hear.

Holding her tightly against his body, Clark responded with, "I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner. By the time I realised something was wrong, it took me a while to find you. I'm still trying to get a handle on my abilities".

"Its ok, what matters is you're here now", Chloe said, pulling back to look into Clark's eyes, wincing as more pain shot up her arm. "But we need to get out of here. Clark, someone knows about your abilities and has orchestrated this whole memory wipe thing as a way of making you vulnerable. I think that the person behind this is Lex, which means he knows more than I thought. We need to go before anyone else comes!"

"Ok, but we need to straight to a hospital, you don't look so good. Chloe I want you to hold on to me as tightly as you can; I am going to super speed us outta here, ok?" Clark asked. Chloe nodded her consent, and Clark gently scooped her up into his arms, holding her securely against his chest.

Chloe looked up at him and said, "Run Clark, take me away!"

As Clark and Chloe sped out of the room to safety, neither of them noticed the small, blinking red light high up in the corner of the room.

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There we go, another update finished. Sorry this one has taken much longer, lots of things happening at the moment, so this fic had to be put on hold. But I promise there is more story to come, and I will share it very soon. Please R&R!! 


	8. Chapter 8

Clark slowed to a jog just outside the entrance to the Smallville Medical Centre. Checking to see that Chloe was still conscious, Clark hurried inside to the triage desk.

"I need help, my friend has been badly beaten and I think she may lose consciousness!" Clark told the nurse behind the desk. She took one look at Chloe's swollen face and pale complexion, then quickly hurried out to Clark calling for a doctor as she went. Clark stood back helplessly as a team of medical personnel took Chloe from him and rushed her inside the emergency room. As they began to assess her, Clark looked on from behind the glass, guilt and shame written across his face. _What have I done? Chloe's pain is because of me. She is suffering because of my secret. _Clark could feel the tears building up behind his eyes, and he hastily blinked them away. There were so many emotions whirling around inside of him. Sadness, guilt, shame, anger; but also gratitude and love, as Chloe believed in him so much that she was willing to risk her own life to protect him. He couldn't understand why she would risk everything to protect him, when he obviously ignored her on a regular basis and took her friendship for granted. _How could I have been so stupid before to have not seen the amazing beauty right in front of my eyes? I have all these extraordinary abilites; and yet I am blind. I __**need **__to make her understand that my eyes have now been opened, and that I will not let her suffering be in vain. _

"Mr Kent? We are moving Chloe to a bed on the ward, if you'd like to follow?" A nurse asked. Nodding, Clark followed anxiously behind, waiting to hear if she was going to be ok. As Chloe was settled into the room, the doctor spoke with Clark.

"Mr. Kent, Chloe has suffered a lot of bruising to the face and arms, as well as a few broken fingers. We have set those in a cast to mend and also given her pain medication. If she gets plenty of rest and takes it easy for the next week or so, Chloe should make a full recovery with no lasting side affects. We will keep her here over night for observation to check there have been no severe head injuries, then everything being well, she should be discharged tomorrow", the doctor informed Clark. After checking Chloe's chart one last time, he left the room. Once the nurse had made Chloe comfortable, she turned to Clark.

"You are welcome to stay with her for a while if you'd like, but the medication she is on will keep her sleeping for a while. She does need to get some rest so don't stay too long", she said, leaving the room.

Chloe was sleeping, due to the strong pain medication she was on. Moving closer to the bed, Clark took the opportunity to assess for himself the extent of Chloe's injuries. Using his x-ray vision, Clark looked for anything the doctors might have missed; however he was relieved to find nothing. Sighing in relief, Clark sat in the chair beside her bed. Reaching out his hand, Clark gently placed it over Chloe's. She looked so small and fragile, lying there in the hospital bed. Again, Clark was overwhelmed with a feeling of guilt that he had been the one to place her in this position. He should never allowed her to visit the plant by herself, he should have insisted on going with her. As he sat there watching Chloe sleep, Clark remembered the crumpled pink letter he had stashed in his back pocket, the one that Chloe had written for him. Pulling it out, Clark looked over it again. It summed up so beautifully the way he felt about Chloe. Clark decided to read it aloud, as a way of expressing his feelings when he himself could not think of the words.

_"I want to let you in on a secret._

_I'm not who you think I am._

_In fact my disguise is so thin; I'm surprised you haven't seen right through me._

_I'm the man of you dreams, masquerading as your best friend._

_Sometimes I want to rip off this façade like I did at the spring formal,_

_But I can't because you'll get scared and you'll run away again._

_So I decided it's better to live with a lie than expose my true feelings._

_My dad told me there are two types of men._

_The ones you grow out of and the ones you grow into._

_I really hope I'm the latter._

_I may not be the one you love today,_

_But I'll let you go for now,_

_Hoping one day you'll fly back to me_

_Because I think you're worth the wait."_

As Clark folded the letter back up, he noticed that Chloe was beginning to stir. He hastily shoved the letter under the bedsheets, not wanting Chloe to know he had it.

"Clark?" Chloe asked, slowly blinking the sleep from her eyes and searching the room for his face. She knew she had heard his voice just a minute ago, saying something about being 'worth the wait'? Her left eye was still completely swollen shut, so she had limited visibility out of the right side, and Clark was sitting to her left.

"I'm here Chloe" he replied, squeezing her left hand. Chloe turned for neck slowly, so she could se him better. She noticed the look of pain and shame that coloured his features, knowing that he would be blaming himself for her situation. Even though her head hurt like hell, and she wouldn't have complete use of her hand for a while, Chloe did not regret her actions one bit. She knew that Clark was destined for greater things, that he was worth protecting at all costs. But Chloe also knew that Clark was a very humble person, and he would never understand her motivations for protecting him like this. Not to mention the fact that try as she may, she was still completely in love with him. Though she had come to the conclusion that he would never feel the same, even with his memories of Lana gone. She just wasn't the girl for him.

Chloe looked Clark in the eyes and gave him her best smile she could manage, without passing out from the pain of it.

"Thanks for rescuing me Clark, it's good to see you starting to act like your old self" she said slowly through the pain.

Hanging his head in guilt, Clark replied, "Well, I really should have never let you go to that plant alone, so that you wouldn't be in this mess. I'm sorry Chloe, I really screwed up. I but the 'old me' would have never left this happen to you".

Chloe knew the warning signs of a Clark Kent brooding session, and she could clearly see them now. She had to find a way to draw him out of it, as they still weren't out of the woods yet. Those guys at the plant obviously knew something about Clark and it looked like they were prepared to do anything to get the information they were after. Also, she was sure that Lex Luthor was connected to all of this somehow. So Chloe needed Clark on board 100% if they were going to stop these guys, especially as it looked like Chloe was going to be bed bound for the next little while. Chloe pushed herself up in bed slightly, biting the inside of her check to stop herself from wincing at the sharp pain that shot up her arm.

Tugging on Clark's hand so that he would look at her, Chloe said, "Clark, don't blame your self, I am a big girl and I got myself into this situation. There is nothing you could have done to stop me. You will learn that once I'm on a story, nothing can stand in my way. You came when I needed you, that's all that matters. You were able to harness your abilities to find me and get me to safety. Clark, I think it is so amazing how you put your self out there to save others, often people like me who get themselves into their own mess. You haven't screwed up, a few bumps and bruises are nothing, I'm going to be fine. The 'old you' would not have done anything differently. In fact, I think you were quicker in finding me than he would have been". Chloe gave Clark the biggest smile she could manage.

Clark looked back at her, in his mind he was still doubtful about what Chloe was saying, but he could see that even though she was in pain, Chloe was being selfless and was trying to cheer him up. So Clark decided he could save his moping for later when she wasn't around and put on a brave face for now.

"Your right Chloe, thank you. Now, enough about me. Tell me what happened to you back at the plant?" Clark asked, trying his best to smile back at her. Chloe could tell that his smile still didn't quite reach his eyes, however she decided to let it go for now, and concentrate on the problem at hand.

"Well, I managed to sneak into the records room at the plant and I found an employee file on Kevin Grady. The thing is, Kevin isn't an employee of LexCorp, but rather he was a voluntary test subject. It seems he was recruited straight outta High School and took part in tests using meteor rock to enhance people's natural abilities. The tests seemed to have worked, as Kevin is now able to take away peoples memories at whim and also to give them back. So in order to get your memories back Clark, you need to find Grady and get him to restore them for you" Chloe said.

"Really? I can get my memories back? It's possible? I need to find this guy now!" Clark replied, excitement growing in his voice. _If I had my memories back, then maybe I would know how to show Chloe how much she means to me? Also, I would know how to stop something like this from happening in the future. _

Chloe was slightly disappointed by how excited Clark was at getting his memory back. _Which is stupid! I should be happy for him; it can't be easy for him to forget everything. Though as soon as he does remember, Clark will go back to pining after Lana and everything will go back to normal. I will become side kick Chloe once again, nothing more._ Chloe tried to not let her disappoint show. Instead, she pushed it aside, and focused back on the situation and the danger that Clark was unaware of.

"Clark, you need to be careful. I believe that somehow Lex Luthor is behind your memory loss. It is too convenient that someone with the ability to take away a persons memory, who was tested on at LexCorp, just happened to accidentally take your memory away when they were escaping a robbery. I don't like it, something seems off to me. Those guys who were interrogating me seemed to know an awful lot about you Clark, and they seemed to somehow know you were different. They kept asking me what I knew about you. I think this is an elaborate plot by Lex to get you to reveal yourself to him, so that he knows once and for all just what you are capable off," Chloe stated.

"Really? You think that Lex would go to all this trouble of setting me up in the hope that I might reveal my abilities? That's a bit far fetched, don't you think Chloe?" Clark replied.

"Clark, you don't remember Lex like I do. Our favourite billionaire has a dark side, and an unhealthy obsession with all things Clark Kent. I know you don't remember, but last year Lex had a secret room in the mansion in which he researched your life. He swore to you that he destroyed it all, but I think he has just moved it somewhere else and that he is continuing to look into your life, just in a more extreme way now," Chloe said, her voicing growing angry at the thought of Lex hunting Clark in this way.

"Ok, say your right and Lex is behind this. What should our next move be? Should I go after Lex first or find Grady and get my memory back?" Clark responded.

"Well, I think it would be safest if you got your memory back first, as obviously Lex wanted to take it away to prey on your vulnerabilities and get you to slip up. I know where Grady is, he has a house on the outskirts of Granville. Go get your memories back, then you will be fully equipped to take on Lex. Please be careful Clark, don't trust any strangers as they may be working for Lex. I'm sure he is keeping an eye on you", Chloe said, concern in her voice.

"Ok. I'll go now to Grady and then to Lex. I will return to you Chloe when I have taken care of this mess. I want you to rest now, and concentrate on getting better. Thank you for all your help in these last few days, I really have appreciated it. But it's up to me now to confront Lex on my own," Clark said. He raised Chloe's hand to his lips and placed a soft, gentle kiss. Then he was gone.

Chloe looked down at the spot where Clark's lips had touched her skin. She could still feel a slight tingling sensation from the feel of his lips. If she closed her eyes and concentrated, she could almost imagine what his lips would feel like against hers. _Stop it Chloe! Don't start thinking like that again, _she thought to herself. Chloe tried to re-arrange herself in a more comfortable position in the bed. As she was moving around, her hand brushed what felt like a piece of paper underneath the covers. Intrigued, Chloe pulled it out and at once recognised the pink letter folded with Clark's name written across the top in her own hand writing. _What is this doing here? Oh! When I woke up, I heard Clark say 'worth the wait'. How did he find the letter and why was he reading it to me?_ Chloe was instantly mortified that Clark had read her most private thoughts. He was never supposed to know about that letter, or the way her heart had broken into a million pieces when he had said Lana's name. _Does this change the way he feels about me? No, I'm sure that when his memory is restored, this letter will pale in comparison to years of Lana worship. He will forget about it, and go back to ignoring my feelings. I shouldn't expect anything else. _Chloe sighed as she closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep, knowing that when she saw Clark again, he would not see her.

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There we go, finally a new update! Sorry it has taken so long, my muse disappeared for a while. The new season of Smallville has been inspiring me to write Clois, not Chlark. I just love the way that Erica and Tom interact, it's so awesome to see. So there maybe a Clois fic in the works, however I promise to finish this one first. Cos in season 4, Chloe and Clark were meant to be together. So, more to come. I am working on the big scenes between Grady/Clark and Lex/Clark now. Thank you for sticking with me during the long pause, and I look forward to reading your reviews!


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